The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Advances in computer-aided three-dimensional (3D) modeling—both in terms of the number of available software applications and the ease with which the available applications can be used-have facilitated the proliferation of 3D digital modeling through a number of technological areas. Using computer-aided drafting (CAD) programs, digital modeling software, and the like, professionals and novices alike can generate digital, 3D models of buildings, spaces, objects, etc.
One context in which computer-aided 3D modeling has found particular utility is the field of digital cartography. One function of digital cartography is to generate maps that provide accurate visual depictions of an area. In particular, some maps now allow a user to visualize a particular location as it actually appears, by integrating photographic elements from satellite imagery, aerial imagery, and surface imagery with traditional cartographic elements (e.g., information about road locations, geographic features, etc.) and advanced location data (e.g., from the Global Positioning System (GPS)). In some instances, digital maps may allow a user to view an element such as, for example, a building, as a 3D model.
Generally, 3D models depicted in digital maps are created using computer-aided 3D modeling programs. In some instances, the 3D models are untextured. That is, the 3D models depict the shape of the building, but do not accurately depict the building's visual characteristics, such as the building's facade. In other instances, the 3D models are textured using, for example, one or more photographic images of the real-world object modeled. The process of applying a photographic image to a model of a real-world object is referred to as “photo texturing.”
The tedious and time-consuming nature of the photo texturing process limits the capacity of most digital map systems to implement accurate 3D modeling of mapped areas. To model and texture a given object, images of the object must be acquired, usually from several angles. In some instances, this may require traveling to the object. However, even when such images are readily available, applying the images to the surfaces of a 3D model is often a non-trivial task requiring at least selection of a portion of an image and alignment of the image characteristics (e.g., the angle from which the image was taken with respect to the surface to be photo textured) with the model.